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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677628">The Tale of Leonie and Her Employer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumakins/pseuds/Lumakins'>Lumakins</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Employee-Employer Relationship, F/M, Male Byleth - Freeform, Set During Leonie's A-Support, but not really</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:22:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumakins/pseuds/Lumakins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Byleth's Impressions on Leonie's A-Support</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>My Unit | Byleth/Leonie Pinelli</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Tale of Leonie and Her Employer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey all,</p>
<p>This is written for my soulmate who, when playing for the first time decided to S-rank Leonie but was heavily disturbed by her calling Byleth her employer. Enjoy and know everything turns out okay because they get married anyway</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Byleth knew teachers weren't supposed to have favorites, but they all did. Manuela loved Dorothea, and Hanneman had a begrudging respect for Linhardt. Byleth however preferred Leonie. </p>
<p>He still remembered his first meeting with her, "Captain Jeralt's first and greatest apprentice." Sothis (a/n - read: Luma) had whispered in his ear that it seemed Jeralt was all she had the capability to talk about but Byleth never saw it that way. No, he saw Leonie's strength, determination and heart. </p>
<p>Byleth remembered a lot about Leonie. Maybe even too much. He remembered her sad, angry response the first time she failed her certification exam and her exclamation of that being the last time she ever failed. He remembered how she would spring back to her feet after being bested in a spar and demand a rematch. He remembered her showing him her secret fish seasoning and the way she liked to cultivate vegetables and how she flung herself onto unknown horses to gallop into battle without a second thought. He remembered her excitement the first time she touched the Inexhaustible.</p>
<p>He remembered when he decided he wanted to marry Leonie.</p>
<p>She was more-or-less ranting about a discussion she had suffered through with Sylvain earlier that day. He had called her crude and admitted that his brain refused to see her as female. Byleth didn't see how he could possibly say that. Leonie was thoughtful and caring and beautiful and he loved her.</p>
<p>He loved Leonie.</p>
<p>
  <i>He loved Leonie</i>
</p>
<p>And suddenly that was all he could think about. She was all he could think about. But as his student, now was not the time for that. Maybe he could act on those feelings later.</p>
<p>And then the war started and later was pushed back even further. </p>
<p>And then she showed up back at the academy to join their fight and later became a whole lot closer.</p>
<p>One day, Leonie approached him. "Hey, Professor. Can we talk?" She asked. It was always a good time to be with Leonie so of course Byleth nodded. She continued "I feel terrible about the last time we spoke. I was trying to apologize, and just ended up losing my temper again. I'm really sorry."</p>
<p>Byleth hadn't even noticed. Not really. Not enough to be bothered by it. How could he be bothered by anything Leonie did. So he responded, "I don't mind."</p>
<p>"I figured you'd say that, but I still feel like an idiot. Somehow, I just have a hard time keeping my feelings in check around you." In that brief second, Byleth's heart stopped - or it would have if it already didn't beat. She had feelings for him?! "And I think if I don't just tell you what I'm thinking, we'll never be able to have a normal conversation." Yes, Leonie, what are you thinking? He begged her mentally to tell him. "So, let me clear the air. I want us to, uh...engage..."</p>
<p>"You want to get engaged?!" Byleth blurted out, his own internal monologue and feelings blurring his understanding.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I—" Byleth's heart rose. "Wait, what?! No! I mean in a duel!" And sunk. That was just cruel wording on Leonie's part. It had to be on purpose. No one says 'engage in a duel.' Byleth fumed silently.</p>
<p>Oblivious to what she had done, Leonie continued. "I know it's a sudden thing to ask, but I'm not going to feel settled until I know where I stand. Would you do that for me?"</p>
<p>"All right." Byleth said with less enthusiasm than was normally characteristic of Leonie's requests to spar. This was not how he wanted this exchange to go.</p>
<p>"Good. Don't hold back, OK? I want to see you at your absolute best!"</p>
<p>The two soon found themselves at the training grounds and even quicker her back was on the ground, Byleth's practice sword to her neck. He knew he looked like a lovestruck fool as he offered his hand to help her to her feet. </p>
<p>"Phew! You got me. I'm completely outmatched..." She said when she was steadied back on her feet.</p>
<p>"You held your own." He responded but it was mostly because he had been a little off his game. Not that he needed to tell her that.</p>
<p>"Maybe, but you were definitely stronger. Honestly, that's what I needed to see." Byleth's brows furrowed in confusion so she continued. <br/>"You're a true successor to Captain Jeralt's style of swordplay. I almost felt like you were him. I thought I was competing with you...but that's as pointless as competing against him would've been. So instead of that, I'm going to focus on keeping the promise I made to him."</p>
<p>A promise? That was new. Byleth knew Leonie has spent a lot of time around his father - everyone did - but "What promise?"</p>
<p>Leonie gave him a small smile with a mixture of emotions hiding behind it. "Captain Jeralt said that, if anything should happen to him, I'd have to support you in his place. He didn't sound serious at the time, but it was right before he...you know. Before we lost him. So, I've decided. I'd like to do just what he said. I know I'm not as strong as I need to be. But I swear to you...I'll train until I am. What do you say? Can I call you my employer?"</p>
<p>Wait, did she just say employer?</p>
<p>Employer?</p>
<p>Employer.</p>
<p>The word echoed in Byleth's mind. Did she really just move him from being professor-zoned to employee-zoned? That's even worse than being friend-zoned. He loved her and she thought of him as an employer? How was he going to fix this? What even was this? Some kind of twisted joke?</p>
<p>What else could Byleth do? "I know I can count on you." He said but his heart wasn't in it. </p>
<p>Leonie though mimicked a puppy in her excitement. "Yes! It's official! I'll protect you, no matter what!" She said, and ran off before Byleth could even figure out a way to begin to tell her that wasn't what he wanted.</p>
<p>Oh well, just another thing to deal with later. Add it to the pile with the crazy dictator of Fodlan to fight and the subsequent reestablishment of the governing powers. Nothing he can't deal with.</p>
<p>Maybe he should gather the boys for some dating advice. Who did he trust enough to listen to though? That was a bigger hurdle than the dictator.</p>
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